By Jung Hae-myoung Thirteen endangered sea turtles were released into the ocean at Jungmun Saekdal Beach on Jeju Island, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries said Wednesday. Three turtles are those had been rescued, five were hatched artificially and the rest came from abroad for research. Last year, the ministry released 80 artificially hatched sea turtles.Some turtles had GPS tracking devices installed on their backs. "The sea turtles will carry GPS only temporarily," an official said. "They will last about three years. Smaller ones carry only about five months because they grow fast,"

Baby sea turtles are released with GPS trackers on their backs. Yonhap

According to the World Conservation Union, all seven species of sea turtles are on the verge of extinction. Four of them ― the Green, the Loggerhead, the Hawksbill and the Leatherback ― are found around South Korea and are protected by the ministry.